Metro-Denver Chapter |
||||||||
|
The Metro-Denver Chapter welcomes everyone, members and non-members, to attend its free programs and field trips. September through April, programs are on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York Street, Denver, CO. For more information, please contact Jannette Wesley
2012 Programs Rare Plant Stewardship: Documenting and Protecting Colorado's Rarest Plants
February 28, 2012, 7 P.M. Join Jenny Neale, Director of Research & Conservation at Denver Botanic Gardens, and Brian Kurzel, Natural Areas Coordinator at the Colorado Natural Areas Program to learn how you can help protect Colorado's rarest plants. Jenny and Brian will discuss the Rare Plant Monitoring Steward program, a volunteer program designed to get citizen scientists into the field collecting data. In the first five years of the program, more than 70 people have been trained in the theory and practice of rare plant conservation. Learn how the RPM Stewards are positively impacting rare plant conservation within the state while also learning more about the research and conservation work done at Denver Botanic Gardens and the Colorado Natural Areas Program. Jenny Neale serves as the Director of the Research & Conservation at Denver Botanic Gardens. She leads the team of scientists working to document and conserve the natural heritage of the Southern Rocky Mountain region. Jenny's area of expertise is in utilizing genetic tools to address questions related to Colorado’s most rare and imperiled plants. She is collaborating with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to address genetic questions in four federally listed species through the use of molecular tools. In addition, she conducts long-term demographic monitoring of several species to track population dynamics over time as well as to inform management activities. As the Gardens’ Center for Plant Conservation conservation officer, she helps protect our imperiled species from extinction through seed collection for future restoration and reintroduction needs. A Colorado native, Jenny earned her Doctorate from the department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her dissertation research focused on the conservation genetics and pollination of a rare California sunflower. Jenny has served as a Board Member at Large for the Colorado Native Plant Society since 2007. Gardening with Native Plants March 27, 2012, Tuesday, 7 P.M. Colorado was settled by people who generally came from more humid, maritime climates. Our traditional garden flora is mostly transplanted from the Midwest (a region famous for its deep, rich topsoil and predictable precipitation). There have been hobbyists and a few nurserymen over the last century who have experimented, bringing a few native plants into conventional garden settings: some, like blue spruce and Blue Columbine, are garden mainstays. It has only been in the last few decades that something approaching a dramatic shift has begun to occur. In this talk Panayoti Kelaidis will discuss a few of the native plant pioneers in the state (Darwin Andrews, Kathleen Marriage, Harry Swift and especially George Kelly in the early and mid 20th Century for instance)...and the sudden renaissance that has blossomed in the last few decades. Panayoti Kelaidis is a plant explorer, gardener and public garden administrator associated with Denver Botanic Gardens where he is now Senior Curator and Director of Outreach. He has designed plantings for many of the gardens at DBG, he is particularly noted for the plantings of the Rock Alpine Garden. He has introduced hundreds of native ornamentals from throughout the Western United States to general horticulture. He has taken six collecting trips to Southern Africa researching the high mountain flora there, as well as travels to the Andes, the Himalaya (from both Pakistan and China) as well as travels throughout much of Europe, and Turkey. Many of his plant introductions are available through Plant Select®, (a plant introduction program he helped launch along with staff from Colorado State University and nurseries across America). He has lectured in over 100 cities in seven countries, and has been featured in dozens of television, newspaper and magazine pieces. He has published widely in popular and technical horticultural journals. In recent years Panayoti has been honored with the Boulder History Museum’s 60 Year Living History award in 2004, in 2003 by being inducted into the Garden Club of America as Member-at-Large, in 2002 he received the National Garden Clubs Medal of Honor and in 2000 he received the Arthur Hoyt Scott Medal from the Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College. He has received four awards from the North American Rock Garden Society. In 2004 he was inducted into the Colorado Nursery and Greenhouse Association’s Hall of Fame. In 2009 he received the Liberty Hyde Bailey Award of the American Horticultural Society. 2012 Field Trips Roxborough State Park 3rd Wednesday, April thru Sept., 9:00 am Monthly trips on the 3rd Wednesday: April 18th, May 16, June 20th, July 18th, August 15th, and September 19th ($7. daily pass required). For monthly hikes April through Sept (it'll be fantastic to follow the evolving plants from spring to fall) we'll likely concentrate on the Willow Creek 1 1/2 mile trail, which extends onto the 3 mile South Rim trail. Willow Creek is nearly level with moisture lovers around the small stream, while South Rim features a gentle climb. Various herbivorous and woody plants, including some unusual varieties. If you don't know poison ivy, there's lots to see (and learn to avoid). Let's plan on meeting at the fee paying area at 9am (Lenore has a park pass, so we might carpool in from there). The Visitor’s Center is lovely and has a large binder with flower photos. From northeast Denver: follow Santa Fe Drive south, exit onto Titan Road and follow west, then curve south onto Roxborough Road. Remain on Roxborough past Safeway shopping center until it ends (do not follow into residential Roxborough Park gated area) turn right onto dirt road instead, then take first right turn and follow to park entrance and fee paying area. Visitor Center is 2 miles farther on same road. From southwest Denver: follow C470, exit onto CO 121 (Wadsworth) and follow to left hand turn onto Waterton Rd (instead of entrance to Lockheed Martin). Waterton Rd curves to the left and leads to traffic light by Roxborough Road (area with Safeway shopping center). Turn right at light and follow Roxborough to park entrance as stated above. Register by contacting Lenore Mitchell at mitchelllenore89@gmail.com William Frederick Hayden Park Friday, April 13, 2012, 5:30 pm Meet at the Alameda and Florida trailhead. Flowers bloom early here with the warm eastern exposure. We’ll see the Easter Daisy (Townsendia hookeri), the Cutleaf Daisy (Erigeron compositus) and other early blooming plants. Be prepared to walk for a 500’ elevation gain, approximate distance is 3 miles. Participation is limited, register by contacting Judy King at 303-984-2987. Colorado Wetland Plant Field Guide
April 24, 2012, 7 P.M. Tools for Colorado Wetlands: Essential Information for Identification, Assessment, and Conservation, will develop a Colorado Wetland Field Guide that will contain botanical descriptions of over 520 wetland plants as well as information on priority wildlife species and other wetland-dependent animals, wildlife and vegetation ecology, and rare and/or sensitive plants. The Guide will serve as the ultimate resource to determine a wetland plant’s identity, wetland indicator status, coefficient of conservation, rarity, and ecology. The project will also develop an easily accessible Colorado Wetland Website that will present a) information on wetland ecosystems and their conservation status, b) a database to calculate the overall conservatism of species present in a wetland, c) reports on Colorado wetland and wetland assessment tools, and d) links to other wetland projects and programs—a virtual “one-stop shopping” for wetland information in Colorado. Denise Culver has been an ecologist/botanist with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program for 16 years. She has been working in the ecology/botany field since 1987. Prior to working for CNHP she worked for the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database and the Montana Natural Heritage Program. Additionally, she worked for the National Park Service in several parks and monuments as a resource management ranger for five years. She has a B.S. degree in Botany from University of Wyoming and a M.S. degree in Biological Sciences from Montana State University. She has been the project leader for 18 Colorado county surveys for critical biological resources, the Field Guide to the Wetland and Riparian Plant Associations, and numerous wetland plant surveys and assessments. Currently, she is the project lead for the Colorado Wetland Plant Field Guide, a comprehensive description of over 520 wetland plants, completion early 2012. She is active in a variety of activities including Colorado Native Plant Society, Master Gardener Program, Native Plant Master Program and a dog therapy team with her white hairy mutt, Nakai. Exploring Colorado's Lichens - I Saturday, April 28, 2012, 9am – 3pm South Valley Jeffco Open Space Friday, May 4, 9:00 am Directions: From C470, exit onto Ken Caryl Rd, follow west past traffic light, then turn left at stop sign onto South Valley Rd and follow to well-marked main north entrance to parking lot. Gentle rolling trails with red rock formations and a bevy of spring bloomers, from Lomatium orientale (salt and pepper), loads of Leucocrinum montanum (sand lily), Lithospermun incisum (narrowleaf puccoon) and Toxicoscordion venosum (death camas) as well as many early-blooming woodies. Lenore has taught NPM classes for several years at South Valley. Register by contacting Lenore Mitchell at LENOREMITCHELL@MSN.COM Exploring Colorado's Lichens - II Sunday, June 9, 2012, 9am – 3pm Saturday June 16, 9:00 am Directions: for carpooling, meet at 9am Home Depot large parking lot just south of US285 and east of C470 (exit onto Quincy from C-470) follow Driving separately, follow US285 past Conifer, past Bailey and on to top of 10,000 ft pass; turn right onto dirt road and drive short distance to main parking area to meet there at 9:45am We'll hike relatively flat trails beginning through camp/picnic grounds and on through aspen groves and near small stream to search for flowers and woodies. We'll likely find Thermopsis (golden banner) and Aquilegia (columbine) among others. We may also explore the west side of the pass if time and conditions permit. There are many aspen which provide shade and moisture for various wildflowers. Register by contacting Lenore Mitchell at LENOREMITCHELL@MSN.COM Lion Gulch Hike Late June, probably June 23, 2012 7 to 8 miles depending on interest/weather, 12 miles if every participant agrees (in which case our start time would be 6:30 am). Bring the usual Colorado hiking gear - hiking boots, rain gear, 1.5 to 2 liters of water, hiking poles, etc. Please come adequately equipped for very hot to very cold/wet weather. Feel free to contact Jeanne if you have questions about hike preparation, especially if you are new to Colorado. This hike climbs up a stream valley to a high meadow with remains of old homesteads. A longer version of the hike is 12 miles and visits more old structures. The variety of habitats including meadows and burn areas, and the significant elevation gain (1500 ft or more) provide for huge biodiversity and we can easily see over 100 types of flowering & non-flowering plants. Both novice and experienced botanists will delight in the beauty and the historical aspects of the trip. Hikers new and old may want to bring a notepad or field book, camera, and field guides. I will provide some handouts of plant lists from previous years, and I'm sure that together we can make the list longer. As always on my trips, we will look at all sorts of natural history and hopefully we will also see interesting insects, birds, geology, and so forth. This is great bear and mountain lion habitat (hence the hike name), and my son has seen bears here. If every single participant tells Jeanne that they want to do the 12 mile hike BEFORE the day of the hike, then we'll do it. It is a very long day, but it's really interesting! We will meet in Golden in the Colorado Mountain Club East Lot to carpool, leaving at 7:00 SHARP, and I will try to help Boulder area folks to carpool. We'll have a quick coffee stop on the way, and there is a bathroom at the trailhead. The hike starts about. Please notify me if you want to meet at the trailhead. Your trip leader, Jeanne Willson, holds a PhD in Botany but more importantly has a deep love for all natural history and for canoeing the rivers and hiking the mountains, prairies, and deserts of the western US and Canada. She is an experienced trip leader and has lead trips for the National Park Service, the Colorado Mountain Club, the Rocky Mountain Canoe Club, and random friends for many years. Register by Contacting Jeanne Willson: canyonwren22@comcast.net ; call with questions at h-303-369-3131 or w-720-228-4128. Riverside Revival Tour Saturday, July 14, 2012, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm As we tour historic Riverside Cemetery, we will see native plants in their original setting, revegetation plots, raised flower beds with Plant Select plants and a pond. A brief history of the cemetery will be discussed as we take a leisurely walk of the site, looking at the native plants. Through the Fairmount Heritage Foundation’s Riverside Revival project, several areas of the cemetery have been revegetated with native grasses over the course of four seasons in order to establish a sustainable landscape. Bring a hat, binoculars, water and snacks, and wear comfortable walking shoes. Margaret has worked in the botany and horticulture industries for over 10 years. She is currently the seasonal horticulturist at Riverside Cemetery where she maintains newly revegetated areas and test flower beds of Plant Select plants. Margaret is a member of both the Colorado Native Plant Society and the Colorado Weed Management Association. Meet at the chapel at Riverside Cemetery, 5201 Brighton Blvd, Denver, CO 80216. Golden Gate Canyon Saturday, July 21, 9:00 am Stan Smookler and Linda Senser have been volunteers at Golden Gate Canyon State Park (GGCSP) since 1991 and 1992 respectively. They have been surveying the parks flora over 20 years. The field trip will make a brief stop at the Blue Grouse trailhead where three unusual plants were discovered in 1998. These are Aster alpinus, Eriogonum flavum subsp xanthum, and Besseya plantaginea. The trip will then proceed to Nott Creek parking lot to hike along a loop trail that includes the Mountain Lion trail and 2 park service roads. These trails will cover diverse landscape ranging from dry meadows and hillsides to wet meadows and riparian habitat. With GGCSP being a State Park, a fee of $7.00 will be assessed on each car. Therefore a car pool has been organized to the Park in order to share expenses. Participants will meet at the junction of I-70 and U.S. Highway 40, at 9 am. Look for the Wooly Mammoth parking lot on Highway 40 west of the junction opposite a CONOCO gas station located across the road from the parking lot. Participation is limited, register by contacting Linda Senser, 303-442-7319 Shelf Lake Hike Late July, weekend to be determined This 6+ mile, 1500+' elevation gain hike climbs steeply up out of the Geneva Creek Basin off the south side of Guanella Pass into the high alpine. The subalpine flowers can be diverse and beautiful, but the alpine display may take our breath away, if we are lucky. I think I saw 100,000 larkspur flowers blooming 2 years ago, just for starters. Hikers new and old may want to bring a notepad or field book, camera, and field guides. The trail is rough, steep, and beautiful most of the way. Please come prepared for a Colorado hike: bring the usual Colorado hiking gear - hiking boots, serious rain gear, 1.5 to 2 liters of water, hiking poles, other 10 essentials, etc. Please come adequately equipped for warm to very cold/wet weather. Feel free to contact me (Jeanne) if you have questions about hike preparation, especially if you are new to Colorado. Our pace will be moderate due to steepness and the high altitude. We'll meet to carpool at the Park N Ride at Hampden and Wadsworth for a departure at 7 am sharp. Quick coffee/bathroom stop in Conifer. Guanella Pass Road is unpaved and a little rough; the last mile, we'll need high-clearance or 4WD vehicles, so please volunteer to drive if you have an appropriate vehicle. Your trip leader, Jeanne Willson, holds a PhD in Botany but more importantly has a deep love for all natural history and for canoeing the rivers and hiking the mountains, prairies, and deserts of the western US and Canada. She is an experienced trip leader and has lead trips for the National Park Service, the Colorado Mountain Club, the Rocky Mountain Canoe Club, and random friends for many years. Landscaping for Hummingbirds and Songbirds Sunday, July 29, 5pm to 8- 8:30pm Plants which Hummingbirds feed on will be discussed, in addition to identifying some of the Hummers. Many of these plants are native to the Southwest and some are native to CO. Tina has had up to 6 species of Hummingbirds in her yard, including an Anna's Hummingbird which spent 4 months at Tina's house, from Oct. to Jan. Along with Hummingbirds Tina has many songbirds, of which some nest in her boxes. Many shrubs have been planted for the birds, including Barberry ( Berberis fendler i), and the unusual wild Buckthorn from the western slope [ Rhamnus smithii ]. Other native shrubs are abundant. Tina had a pair of Mountain Chickadees and a pair of Red-breasted Nuthatch nest in her bird boxes. There is minimal walking and one can bring a stool to sit on, to observe the birds. Bring a hat, water, snacks or your dinner, binoculars, stool to sit on, sunblock, and hand lens and bird field guide if you desire. Class is at, and participants MEET AT, 4400 Bow Mar Dr., Littleton,CO (instructor's house). From Fort Logan Cemetery, go S. on S. Sheridan to the intersection of W. Quincy and S. Sheridan, drive SOUTH ON Sheridan to the first stop sign (which is just S. of W. Quincy and S. Sheridan). At the stop sign take a right onto Sunset (head west). Go west about one mile to Bow Mar Dr. Take a right on Bow Mar Dr. and go north to the FIRST driveway on your right. This is 4400 Bow Mar Dr. Do not park in driveway unless you are handicapped. PARK on the WEST side of Bow Mar Dr., across from 4400. so that your car is half on the grass and half on the road, underneath the large Cottonwoods. Do not park on the east side of Bow Mar. Thank you! Tina developed a love of Arctic and Alpine plants while studying at University of Colorado. She has taught classes on Alpine Plant Adaptations and Edible and Medicinal Plants for the Denver Botanic Gardens, and for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. In the late 1980's Tina was Vice President of the Colorado Native Plant Society, and helped organize the CoNPS annual convention at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. CONTACT : RSVP by July 23 to Tina Jones at tjcalliope@hotmail.com . PLEASE leave your contact phone number when you email Tina. Call with questions: 303-906-5479© Golden Gate State Park August 10, 2012, 9:30 am Participants will be looking for the rare Senecio rapifolius, the Yellow Owl Clover (Orthocarpus luteus), the Bahia dissecta, Little Gentian (Gentianella acuta), Bigelow Groundsel (Ligularia bigelovii), Tassel flower (Brickellia grandiflora) and many other flowers. The hike will be approximately 5 miles with 1,000 foot elevation gain. This is one of the more difficult hikes, but well worth it. Very moderate pace. With GGCSP being a State Park, a fee of $7.00 will be assessed for each car. Therefore a car pool will be organized to the Park in order to share expenses. Participation is limited, register by contacting Judy King 303-984-2987 |
